Learning To Live A Slower Paced Life
When was the last time you sat down and did nothing? I mean, literally did nothing – just enjoyed the sun on your face, the cool breeze, listened to the birds chirping and let all of your thoughts just drift away. As a society we never just do “nothing” anymore, and it’s making us sick. As published on the National Center for Biotechnology Information… “The relationship between stress and illness is complex. The susceptibility to stress varies from person to person. Among the factors that influenced the susceptibility to stress are genetic vulnerability, coping style, type of personality and social support. Not all stress has negative effect. Studies have shown that short-term stress boosted the immune system, but chronic stress has a significant effect on the immune system that ultimately manifests an illness. It raises catecholamine and suppressor T cells levels, which suppress the immune system. This suppression, in turn, raises the risk of viral infection. Stress also leads to the release of histamine, which can trigger severe broncho-constriction in asthmatics. Stress increases the risk for diabetes mellitus, especially in overweight individuals, since psychological stress alters insulin needs. Stress also alters the acid concentration in the stomach, which can lead to peptic ulcers, stress ulcers or ulcerative colitis. Chronic stress can also lead to plaque buildup in the arteries (atherosclerosis), especially if combined with a high-fat diet and sedentary living. The correlation between stressful life events and psychiatric illness is stronger than the correlation with medical or physical illness. The relationship of stress with psychiatric illness is strongest in neuroses, which is followed by depression and schizophrenia. There is no scientific evidence of a direct cause-and-effect relationship between the immune system changes and the development of cancer. However, recent studies found a link between stress, tumour development and suppression of natural killer (NK) cells, which is actively involved in preventing metastasis and destroying small metastases” From the moment we get up we are constantly moving, always doing something and soliciting a stress response or pattern… Checking email and texts first thing in the morning then every five minutes. Rushing to get ready for work and the kids to school. Back to back meetings, appointments or errands to run. Multi-tasking at stop lights and in traffic on our way home. Cleaning the house, doing yard work and marking off our mile high list of responsibilities. The to-do list that keeps us going is never ending. And I don’t know about you, but it seems like the older I get, the more responsibilities and commitments I have. We underestimate the impact always having “to do something” has on our health. The American Medical Association has stated that stress is the basic cause of more than 60 percent of all human illness and disease. I tell my clients all the time, “you don’t work in an emergency room. No one is going to die if you don’t respond to that email or text, empty the dishwasher before bed or don’t pick up your dry cleaning today.” Learning to live a slower paced life is what will heal us all. In this week’s video and blog I dive into more detail about how living a fast-pace life elicits the stress response, decreases health and the simple steps you can take daily to slow down and heal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckm4FZTbodY&feature=youtu.be Our body can only heal in a relaxed state. I used to be a type-A girl: running from job to job, constantly on the go, getting high on marking things off my to-do list and I never slowed down. That was, until I realized just how much damage my fast-pace life was doing to my health. A lot of us live in a fight or flight state all of the time, whether we recognize it or not, as a result of the fast-pace life that our world has evolved to. And when we’re in this state, all of our energy is diverted outward – for quick thinking and quick moving. When we are in a resting state, our energy is focused inward on digestion and healing. The classic textbook example of this is if you imagine you were being chased by a lion. Your body’s effective fight or flight response would act quickly to send all resources and blood flow to your arms and legs for running and to your brain for quick thinking. Although we do not face lions in our typical day, on a physiological level our body does not know the difference between a lion chasing you and the sense of urgency you feel to respond to email, the stress of traffic or your job and the constant worrying about life’s daily responsibilities. This consistent state of fight or flight triggers the body to release the stress hormone, cortisol. Cortisol not only responds to stress but it also regulates inflammation (the root of all disease), blood sugar levels, sleep cycles and plays a major role in balancing thyroid and the rest of the endocrine system. Even low grade stress triggers the fight or flight response and the output of cortisol, and over time this constant output of cortisol creates imbalances in the other body systems that it controls in addition to taking a toll on other hormones such as estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, DHEA and thyroid. Aside from cortisol and overall hormone dysregulation from chronic low (or high) grade stress, the fight or flight response also impacts your gut health. Beneficial and bad bacteria in the gut respond to stress by creating something called biofilm. The accumulation of biofilm can alter the internal environment of the gut, contributing to internal toxicity and leaky gut itself. When we are in a rested state, the body is able to focus its resources on healing, digesting food and nutrient delivery for cellular functions. Over time, I have continued to find ways to slow down in life to allow my body to heal and to stay well. Here are examples of simple steps you can take to slow down and to allow the healing to happen:
- Boundaries around technologies – I only attend to email, phone and work from 7am-7pm
- Deep breathing – long inhales and exhales instantly shut off the fight or flight response and put the body in a rest and relaxed state
- Meditation – taking 5 minutes or more per day to sit and “just do nothing”
- Saying “No” – being mindful of piling too much on my plate and politely saying no
We feel guilty when we take time for ourselves, but in healing ourselves we can help others. When we invest the time to slow down in life, more healing can happen, we can be more productive in life instead of being slowed down by sickness, and we can be more present for our family, friends and loved ones. Even though I’m settling into a slower paced life, I still get that feeling of urgency that starts to bubble up from time to time. But I can quickly diffuse it by breathing deeply or stepping away from the “busy-ness” of what I’m doing and resetting my mindset around the priority to heal and support my body. I challenge you this week to look for where you can add more rest, even if it’s only for 5 minutes, and where you can slow down in your life to allow the healing to happen.
My Most Vulnerable Blog Yet
One year ago this month, I hit the deepest rock bottom with my health that I had ever experienced before. Prior to this, I certainly had my fair share of struggles and frustrations with weight, energy, allergies, ear infections and even skin cancer.
But what happened last year really shook me, it took me to my knees in tears.
For months, every time I looked in the mirror, I felt disgusted. I barely recognized myself. My emotions were running high and I felt like I had zero control. It was a struggle every day to keep myself together.
I kept plugging away, pushing my symptoms to the side, until I just couldn’t take it anymore.
I will be the first to admit I am not perfect. Even health practitioners need help sometimes and this was one of those times for me. My body literally stopped me in my tracks and forced me to pay attention to what was happening.
I finally woke up to what was happening on April 30th, 2016.
It was the morning after our best friend’s wedding. I got up, went for a run, was back in my hotel room getting ready to take a shower and was shocked to find this when I looked in the mirror…
My right breast was inflamed, swollen, radiating heat and had a very visible red streak from the center all the way out towards my underarm.
My first thought was breast cancer.
For about a week leading up to this moment my breast had been very tender, painful even when rolling over in bed or when a seat belt brushed against it. In the months leading up to this, I had experienced tenderness the week before my menstrual cycle but not to this extent.
The average doctor will say that breast tenderness leading up to a menstrual cycle is “normal” for most women, but I’m here to tell you it’s not (men hang in there with me this is important for you to know for all the women in your life, too).
What came next frightened me even more.
The pain, inflammation and radiating heat coming from my right breast continued for another 3-4 days followed by a 12 day period. Needless to say, I was freaking out!
In this week’s video and blog I reveal how I got to the bottom of my hormone issues in 2016 and how one year later I’m symptom and PMS free!
I spent the first week of last May buried in research trying to find what in the world was going on with my body. I contacted doctor after doctor, and practitioner after practitioner who supposedly specialized in women and breast health.
But to my surprise no one was able to help me.
I had a mammogram, nothing showed up. I considered a thermogram but heard differing opinions on what it could show. Two conventional doctors told me they had never seen anything like it before and literally said they didn’t know what to do for me. I saw a “functional” and chinese medicine practitioner who couldn’t figure it out either, but wanted to give me progesterone cream for no good reason- why use something like that if we not even sure what we’re dealing with?
My frustration levels were rising and certainly not helping me in finding the answer.
I took a deep breath and decided I needed to look at myself as if I were my own client. I took a step back, zoomed out my viewpoint and looked for clues.
What I found were a bunch of clues all pointing at estrogen dominance, poor clearing of estrogen from the body and an overloaded liver…
- Weight gain that had crept up on me
- Cystic acne when I had never had acne before
- Hot flashes in the middle of the night
- Feelings of depression and anxiety that would come and go
- Heavy, sporadic and long menstrual cycles
- Breast tenderness and overall intense PMS
I immediately did a DUTCH (dried urine test for comprehensive hormones) test to see what in the heck was going on with my hormones.
Just as I suspected, the test showed I was suffering from estrogen dominance, an imbalance between progesterone and estrogen, even though my total estrogen was low. The test also showed that I was not excreting excess estrogen very well (likely from the mold exposure I discussed in last week’s blog).
This imbalance in my hormones likely would have never been caught on a typical blood test, or even a saliva test. Blood and salivary testing for hormones only shows total values for hormones and not hormone metabolites which can show how the body is converting, clearing and utilizing hormones overall.
Once I knew exactly what I was dealing with, I was able get my hormones back in balance by creating a specific and strategic plan which included:
- Eliminating toxins such as plastics and mold that create xenoestrogens in the body
- Eating more estrogen neutralizing foods such as flaxseed, broccoli and brussels sprouts
- Taking a supplement called DIM Detox to support healthy estrogen levels and clearing
- Taking a supplement called Vitex to boost healthy progesterone levels
- Eating foods and taking supplements to support liver health
Once I had this support in place for a few weeks, I also decided to quit the birth control pill which had done a number on my hormones for over 17 years.
By the end of June I was already feeling more like myself. The bouts of anxiety and depression disappeared, the acne started to clear and the breast tenderness never came back.
Here I am a year later and…
I’ve been acne free for months
I am in complete control of my emotions again
My period practically sneaks up on me because my PMS is so incredibly mild.
To be completely honest, I struggled morally for a long time about sharing this part of my story.
Let’s be real, talking publicly about your menstrual cycle and sharing pictures of your breast isn’t exactly socially acceptable.
However, I decided to share it to help empower you or someone you love. The key takeaway of my story is that you don’t have to suffer, and you don’t have to settle for anything less than you deserve when it comes to your health.
If your health is suffering, it doesn’t have to.
If you feel trapped and helpless, there is a solution for you out there.
If your doctor isn’t helping you get better, there are other health practitioners out there like me who can.
I’m curious, what part of my story resonated the most with you? What have you been struggling with that helped you relate to in my story? Submit a comment, I would love to know.
It’s Official! I’m in remission!
Yesterday I received the news that my Hashimoto’s (an autoimmune thyroid disorder) is officially in remission and I could quit my medication, just 7 months after receiving my diagnosis!
When I initially received my diagnosis back in October, it felt as though the cards were stacked high against me for a quick recovery. Just months prior to my diagnosis I had discovered toxic mold in my home, which led to a hormonal imbalance in my body known as estrogen dominance.
Within weeks after receiving my diagnosis, a home mold test showed the extent of the mold, and the severity of toxicity was much more than I had even anticipated. Mold was also found in my new home office. It was ten times worse than my old office (the original mold location) that I had moved out of. I had been sitting in a room contaminated with extremely toxic mold for almost 6 months before it was discovered and maybe up to two years before that in my old office!
To top it off, within that same week of finding mold in my new office, my mom also passed away. My body was taking a beating from all of the physical and emotional stress, remission seemed far-fetched, but I kept plugging away.
The body inherently wants to be healthy and balanced; we just have to listen for what it needs.
I’ll never forget after receiving my diagnosis, a friend asked “are you upset that this happened to you? Teaching people to be healthy is what you do, and you’re the healthiest person I know.”
Sure, at first I was a bit shocked, overwhelmed, scared and even angry. But then I realized, this wasn’t happening to me, it was happening for me. There was something that my body was trying to tell me. Something wasn’t right and if I listened to what my body needed, if I responded to its call, I could help it get back to being healthy and balanced again.
Autoimmune disorders are becoming an epidemic.
The AARDA estimates that 50 million Americans, 1 in 5 people, suffer from autoimmune disease and research has shown that 80-100 different types of autoimmune disorders have been identified.
For those who haven’t been diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder (yet), you can be on what’s called the “autoimmune spectrum”. The spectrum represents the progression of autoimmunity leading up to diagnosis based on the number of symptoms you have and frequency of them. The spectrum goes from none with no inflammation, to “some” with 1 symptom 1-2 times per month, to “mild” with 1-2 symptoms 1-2 times per week, to “moderate” with 2-3 symptoms most days, to “severe” with 3 or more symptoms every day, and then diagnosis.
In order for an autoimmune disorder to show up in the body, three things have to be in place:
- The gene for it
- Leaky gut
- Some kind of environmental trigger
Clearly I had the gene for it, I just didn’t know it. As of right now genetic testing for autoimmune disorders isn’t exactly very specific. You can test for something called “SNP’s” (single nucleotide polymorphisms). These are variations in genetic sequences or mutations. SNP’s don’t cause disease but they can indicate risk factors for disease (here is a list of some autoimmune disease and their associated SNPs).
You can also look at a mutation in the ADAR1 gene, which causes a defect the body’s “alarm system.” These cells normally protect the body from viruses and other infections by triggering the body’s immune system to fight. The mutation causes this alarm system to be tripped by the cell’s own molecules, causing the immune system to attack – the uniting trait of all autoimmune diseases.
Aside from genetic testing, the other tell tale signs can be found in family history. Autoimmune disorders are commonly misdiagnosed, so even if no one in your family has been diagnosed with one you can still look for trends in family health history. You want to be aware of family health conditions such as hyper or hypothyroidism, IBS or other chronic digestive issues, anxiety, depression, arthritis, chronic inflammatory issues and hormonal imbalances. These are all commonly correlating symptoms with autoimmunity.
You can also test for specific antibodies which indicate the onset of or current autoimmune activity – that show the body is already on the attack.
If you do have an autoimmune indicating gene, you can’t get rid of it BUT you can work to control the other two factors.
Genetics only account for about 25% of the probability of developing an autoimmune disorder. It became clear my gut needed some work and I needed to sort out what types of environmental triggers might be at play.
Eating gut-healthy foods and taking gut-healthy supplements had been part of my regular routine for years, but the toxic mold had done a number on my immune system and gut health. My existing gut health practices were helping my gut to fight the fight but ultimately after an extended period of exposure to the mold and other potential toxins my gut and immune system started to lose the battle.
Mold was the primary environmental trigger for me. It triggered a cascade of events that also turned out to be other triggers for autoimmunity too…
>>>Mold toxins mimic estrogen, raising estrogen levels >>> high estrogen can trigger thyroid imbalances and Hashimoto’s
>>> Mold toxins depress the immune system, increasing susceptibility to parasites, bacteria and yeast overgrowth in the gut >>> certain species of gut bugs trigger autoimmunity and/or the inflammation that gut bugs create, contributing to triggering autoimmunity
>>> Mold toxins burden the liver, create inflammation and internal stress >>> these stressors, compiled with other physical and emotional stress, burden the body even more and inflammation skyrockets, triggering autoimmunity
In this week’s video and blog I dive into more detail about what triggered autoimmunity for me, what I did to reverse it and officially put it into remission.
There isn’t one-size-fits-all way to reversing autoimmunity. Healing an autoimmune condition requires looking at the big picture and sifting through all of the variables to understand where the body needs to be supported and balanced. The investigative process can take time but along the way as you find pieces of the puzzle you can start the reversal process.
In any case of autoimmunity there are three main areas to focus on for the healing to happen, in order to reverse its progress and to achieve remission…
Reduce Inflammation
Inflammation is the cornerstone of an active autoimmune disorder. Stopping the assault was, and still is, a huge focal point for me. Mold was my number one inflammation offender. Only 25% of the population is significantly affected by mold toxicity, and I happened to be one of them. For those 25 percenters (like myself), mold toxicity triggers Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS). Getting rid of mold exposure to reduce the inflammatory assault was a huge piece to healing my Hashimoto’s.
Aside from mold, other common inflammation-inflicting variables include:
- Foods – grains, dairy, sugar, soy, alcohol, nightshade vegetables, legumes, seeds, nuts
- Environmental Toxins – chemically treated water, household cleaning supplies, personal care products
- Physical/Emotional Stress – over-exercising or exercising too intensely when the body is already fatigued/burdened and any mental or emotional stress
One by one I thoroughly examined and reduced as many inflammatory variables asI could over time. I removed inflammatory foods, got a shower filter, swapped out my personal care and household items, reduced my exercise intensity, made massages and self care a monthly priority and created a daily meditation practice.
Restore Gut Health
The gut is where 80% of the immune system lives and leaky gut is one of the strongest risk factors for autoimmune disorders. Autoimmune disorders are the result of an immune system that is on high alert, so it only makes sense to support gut health in order to tame the immune response, but this often goes overlooked. An extended exposure to toxic mold over burdened my immune system and damaged the intestinal lining of my gut. There are many other toxins besides mold that wear on the gut and immune system.
A BIG part of healing my Hashimoto’s centered around healing my gut and strengthening the foundation of my immune system. I did this by:
- Eliminating inflammatory foods
- Testing for gut bugs and getting rid of them
- Minimizing my exposure to toxins
- Adding in gut healing aids such as bone broth, L-glutamine, fish oils and fermented foods
Eventually, my immune system wasn’t at war anymore with my body. My gut was able to better absorb the nutrients I needed and was strong enough to keep the bad bugs out.
Rebuild the Relationship with the Body
Our bodies will do anything we ask them to do, but that doesn’t mean we should do it. I had been asking a LOT of my body for a LONG time, like most of us do. I asked it to work out hard after late nights, I asked it to work 12 hour days, I asked it to push through when I wasn’t feeling well, I asked it to perform at times when I hadn’t properly fueled it with good food, I expected it to do more even when my plate was full. And on top of all the asking I did, I also blamed or shamed my body when it didn’t produce the results I was looking for.
Prior to my Hashimoto’s diagnosis I had already begun to recognize just how tired and beat up my body was because of all the demands I had placed on it. With the help of several programs (Happy to Heal and Wild Light Warrior) offered by my good friend and colleague Molly Hamill, I spent the better portion of 2016 focused on rebuilding my relationship with my body, learning to trust each other again and rebuilding my self worth.
Now I take more rest days from working out than ever before (my body feels great and my weight has improved), I say “no” to taking on more than I can chew without feeling guilty, and I don’t stress about the little things when they don’t go the way I had intended.
The body can ONLY heal in a state of rest and relaxation – doing MORE of this has played a HUGE role in my recovery and I had to learn to value this just as much as I valued diet, exercise, sleep and supplements.
My work with Hashimoto’s isn’t done just because I’ve reach remission. In order to maintain the results I have achieved, I will continue to practice all that I have mentioned. I am not perfect, and don’t claim to be, but I now know better what my body needs from me.
If you, or someone you know, suspects or is struggling with an autoimmune disorder I am here to help, simply schedule a complimentary Ideal Health & Weight Discovery Session here
Reverse Aging Masterclass and more!
Happy Tuesday! I’m taking a break from the blog this week as I prepare for my Get Your Gut In Gear Group program that is starting May 16th, but I wanted to send you a short note about some great health empowerment opportunities and resources that I have for you.
(P.S. if you missed the enrollment deadline for Get Your Gut In Gear I do have 3 spots left and there is still time to get in on it, shoot me an email and we’ll get you set up)
Check out the details on these awesome resources below…
Reverse Aging Masterclass
A good friend and former personal training colleague of mine, Suzanne Choplin, has put together an incredible lineup of interviews from top fitness professionals, health coaches, nutritionists, chiropractors, posture specialists, mind-body experts, and teachers who are all bringing their knowledge and power together to share with you the secrets to reverse aging!
As a dancer, performer, fitness competitor (which I trained her for!), group fitness instructor, and personal trainer, Suzanne always demanded a lot of her body and mind. Several major injuries ended her professional dance career, and a period of deep depression followed. Suzanne felt washed up and done…at 30. She was tired, in pain, and starting to lose the body connection she lived for.
Just like myself, in looking for solutions to her own problems, she started finding solutions to her clients’ aging fears and physical issues as well. This passion for helping her clients has expanded into a desire to help as many people as possible live their fullest, healthiest, most joy- filled lives possible. It’s never too late to make changes for the better, there are simple solutions that will make you feel younger, move easier, and live life to the fullest!
I completed an amazing interview with Suzanne for her Reverse Aging Masterclass and I want to share it, and the rest of the interviews, with you.
You will get incredible insight and tips that you can implement right away to start changing your life. And the best part is, it’s complementary. That’s right, you can watch all the interviews and take advantage of exclusive offers and gifts from the experts for free!
To sign up for the Reverse Aging Masterclass go here: http://reverseageingmasterclass.com/bumi
Some of the topics covered in these VIDEO INTERVIEWS include:
- How your posture affects the way you age.
- How to train your body to stay active forever.
- Are there underlying health problems making you feel older?
- Easy solutions to feel more energetic and vital
- Simple exercises you can start doing right away!
These interviews are simple, short (30 min or less), to the point, and will give you amazing insights and ideas that will change your life. Join the class here: http://reverseageingmasterclass.com/bumi
Healthy Hacks YouTube Channel
I also had the pleasure of being recently interviewed by Christine McDannell, owner of the Eco Chateau in San Diego. The Eco Chateau is a luxurious day spa that is all about detoxing, nutrition, colon hydrotherapy, massage, facials, yoga, pilates, and much more.
Christine picked my brain about the top toxic products in your environment, my favorite acts of self care, hacks for food treats, books that I recommend, the importance of meditation to heal the body, how too much exercise can create sickness, the essentials for optimal gut health and how having Hashimoto’s has challenged me to dig even deeper into living a healthy lifestyle.
And if you missed it earlier this year check out…
Gut Health & Autoimmunity Podcast
I was honored to be a guest speaker on A Healthy Curiosity Podcast with the host, Brodie Welch, as we talked about the connection between gut health and autoimmune disease. The connection between your intestines and your overall well-being may not seem very intuitive, but gut health can have a huge effect on how you feel on a daily basis. Listen in to find out how your diet, exercise, sleep, and stress reduction regimens could cause leaky-gut, in turn leading to increased risk of a wide variety of autoimmune disorders.
That’s all for now! Have a wonderful start to the month of May and I’ll see you back on the blog next week 🙂
[FREEBIE! + Last Day] The 15-minute Candida Self Test
Have you ever suspected that you have Candida?
Candida is the most prevalent yeast overgrowth that I see in people’s guts, and in severe cases even in their mouth (known as thrush). It’s an opportunistic organism – meaning it seizes any opportunity to grow when the gut is damaged, when other bugs are present and when the immune system is depressed.
It’s just one of the main reasons why I created my upcoming Get Your Gut In Gear group program- to help more people uncover this type of hidden invader that’s causing major damage to your health.
(SIDE NOTE: Enrollment for the Get Your Gut In Gear group program closes today, get all the details and grab one of the last few spots here.)
Some of the telltale signs of a Candida overgrowth in your gut include:
- Bloating
- Fatigue
- Ear ringing
- Blurred/spotty vision
- White coated tongue
- Skin rashes/breakouts
- Unexplained weight gain
- Constipation or diarrhea
- Yeast infections or UTI’s
- Sensitive to cigarette smoke or chemical smells
- Constant nasal congestion/mucous build up – especially with damp weather
Most people have no idea they have something like Candida going on in their gut, they just know they don’t feel right. They are suffering from constant bloating, irregular bowel movements, weight gain, skin issues, fatigue, hormone imbalances and more.
Or some people suspect it, but they can’t get their doctor to test for it and acknowledge that it’s a problem. Thus, the suffering continues.
And then there are some who test for Candida, come up positive, do a Candida cleanse to find that out it only helps them slightly feel better and that addressing Candida doesn’t fully resolve their health issues.
You see, Candida is only part of the problem. As I mentioned earlier, it’s an opportunistic organism, meaning it seizes any opportunity to grow when the gut is damaged, when other bugs are present and when the immune system is depressed.
Often times when I work with clients we don’t even address Candida, even if they show up positive for it on a test. Instead, we address the underlying causes of it – healing leaky gut, eradicating other gut bugs that Candida is taking advantage of, diet, mineral deficiencies and more.
Candida is not the problem, it’s a symptom of the problem.
In this week’s video and blog I share my 15-minute Candida test, discuss how Candida is a symptom of something greater going on in your gut, and what you can do to get Candida under control.
When Candida is present, there is also a high likelihood that you also have a parasite and/or bacterial overgrowth in your gut too. The food chain of gut bugs works like this… parasites are at the bottom, bacteria grows off of parasites and parasite waste, yeast/Candida grows off of parasite and bacterial waste.
In my Get Your Gut In Gear program I help you take an even deeper dive look at your gut health to identify any other potential invaders aside from Candida, and then strategically plan your attack to help you get rid of them.
Before you go spending time and money to find out if you have Candida, you can do a simple at-home spit test and self screening to see how likely of a problem Candida is for you.
Download the 15-Minute Candida Test here.
Most Candida cleanses go wrong because they don’t address the other underlying factors such as a leaky gut that has made them susceptible to such an overgrowth, and other gut bugs that are fueling the food source for yeast. Most often these types of cleanse promote a low carb/sugar diet and maybe some herbal elements to combat Candida.
To truly kick Candida for good it requires a 3-step approach:
- Remove inflammatory and pathogenic foods
- Heal the gut lining
- Eradicate all underlying parasites, bacteria and other yeast
These are the EXACT things that I will be guiding others on in the Get Your Gut In Gear program.
If Candida, leaky gut or any other health issues have been a consistent problem for you then it’s time to end the frustration, embarrassment and to set yourself free!
LAST DAY TO JOIN THE GET YOUR GUT IN GEAR GROUP PROGRAM!
Here are the results that you can look forward to in the Get Your Gut In Gear program:
- Restoring proper hormone balance and helping to reverse autoimmunity
- Finally finding the missing piece to your optimal health puzzle
- Resolving those nagging digestive issues once and for all
- Increased energy with extra to spare at the end of the day
- Clarity on what your body needs for you to feel your best
- Balanced mood, increased productivity and focus
- Being muscle and joint pain free for good
- The most restful sleep you’ve ever had
- Getting back to feeling like yourself
This program is perfect for you if you suffer from…
- Hormone imbalances, chronic fatigue and autoimmune issues
- Bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, indigestion, heartburn
- Stubborn weight or weight gain
- Struggles with motivation, depression, anxiety, irritability or just don’t feel like self
- Constantly sick- cold, flu, allergies or generally declining health
- Sleep issues- insomnia or just poor sleep in general
- Sore, stiff or painful joints
- Food allergies/sensitivities, loss of appetite, hungry all the time
- Strong cravings for processed foods and sugary foods
- Hives, rashes, eczema, itchy dermatitis, acne, ulcers, sores, lesions
- Recurring yeast infections or UTI’s
- Bleeding gums, teeth grinding and drooling during sleep
- Sexual dysfunction in men/menstrual cycle problems in women
- Itching – especially around mouth, nose and anus
Enrollment for my Get Your Gut In Gear program is closing TODAY!
It’s time to become your own Health Boss and Get Your Gut In Gear here!
Constantly Constipated?
You might be laughing or totally turned off by the subject line of today’s blog, but this is a REAL problem that most of my clients face (and maybe you do too but it’s too embarrassing to talk about).
Nothing is TMI in my line of work.
Sometimes I start talking about poop even before I’m on a first name basis with people. It’s one of the hottest topics of conversations in ALL of my consultations and client sessions.
Maybe that sounds gross, but your poop has so much to say about what’s going on with your gut and your health. If you don’t have kids, just ask any parent out there about how they monitor their infant’s health and food tolerances – by what’s left in their diapers 😛
Talking about your bathroom habits, it’s often seen an inappropriate, but what you might not be talking about could be giving you the best insight as to what’s going on with your health.
In 2011, the Canadian Journal of Gastroenterology reported that over $800 million dollars were spent per year on prescription laxatives. That doesn’t even count over-the-counter ones!
According to the National Digestive Disease Clearinghouse, There are approximately two million doctor visits each year for constipation complaints and Americans spend $725 million on laxatives each year.
You shouldn’t have to pay to go poop and it shouldn’t be a pain in the ass (pun intended!).
It’s a born birthright. Do you think our neanderthal ancestors had this much trouble in the bathroom department? I don’t think so.
Never knowing when your next bowel movement will happen can leave you on edge all day- making you feel heavy, bloated and down right sick to your stomach.
Or there’s the alternative – I talk to some people who have every bathroom in the city mapped out because they never know when that sinking feeling is going to hit and they’ll have to make a run for it.
I’ve had clients who have lived with this fear and struggled for years until we started looking at what it means to be constantly constipated or dealing with diarrhea.
In this week’s video and blog I talk more about what really causes constipation or diarrhea and what you can do to get back on the regular poop train.
Let’s be honest, thinking about your bowel movements is not how you want to spend your time. Wouldn’t it be nice to not have to worry about it, to know exactly when and what to expect, and to have a regular schedule you can count on?
Some people I talk to will go days without a bowel movement and others are literally limiting their life in fear of when they might abruptly need a bathroom.
As gross as it might seem to talk about, bowel movements are a critical component to our health as they are a major part of our detoxification process. Poop is how we move unwanted toxins and particles out of the body.
A normal bowel movement routine should consist of at least 1-2 movements per day.
Any less or significantly more indicates that there is a more serious problem going on…
Some of the most common causes of constipation can include:
- Dehydration
- Lack of dietary fiber
- Food sensitivities, intolerances and gut inflammation
- Imbalance in gut flora – overgrowth of bad gut bugs and/or not enough good ones
- Hormone imbalances: estrogen to progesterone ratio, hypothyroidism
- Autoimmune conditions such as Hashimoto’s, Celiacs, Crohn’s and Colitis
Some of the most common causes of diarrhea can include:
- Bacterias such as Salmonella or Clostridium Difficile
- Parasites such as Giardia and Entamoeba histolytica
- Food sensitivities, intolerances and gut inflammation
- Laxative abuse and over the counter or prescription medications
- Imbalance in gut flora – overgrowth of bad gut bugs and/or not enough good ones
- Autoimmune conditions such as Hashimoto’s, Celiacs, Crohn’s and Colitis
In any case what constipation and diarrhea all boils down to mostly is gut health – an unhealthy gut leads to…
- Imbalances in gut flora (good vs bad bacteria’s)
- Inflammation and food sensitivities/intolerances
- Autoimmune conditions
- Increased susceptibility to parasite, bacteria and yeast overgrowth
When I work with clients to rebuild their gut health, their issues around regular bowel movements are instantly solved in a matter of just days or a few weeks.
So how do you rebuild gut health to get back on a regular poop schedule?
Healing the gut requires a 3 step approach:
- Removing inflammatory and pathogenic foods
- Implementing supplements and foods that restore gut integrity
- Identifying and eradicating any gut invaders (parasites, bacteria and yeast overgrowth)
This is EXACTLY why I created my GET YOUR GUT IN GEAR PROGRAM!
This gut health rebuilding group program will help you learn to restore optimal gut function for improved overall health, hormone balance and elevated happiness so that you can do things like:
- Live a fully functioning and limitless life
- Boost your energy
- Get rid of belly bloat for good
- Help to heal your thyroid, adrenals and leaky gut
The program starts May 2nd, but enrollment is now open!!! Get all the details and ENROLL HERE
There are only 10 spots available so make sure you grab your spot ASAP.
Get all the details and ENROLL HERE
Stool Tests – The New Annual Physical
I get it, the sound of a stool test probably doesn’t sound that appealing to you, but just wait until you hear what I have to say about this and why I consider an annual stool test the new annual physical…
For years I would go to my annual physical with my conventional doctor and everything always looked perfect on paper.
Perfect cholesterol – check
Perfect HDL – check
Perfect LDL – check
Perfect blood pressure – check
Perfect heart rate – check
Even though all of my annual physical markers looked perfect on paper, I was still suffering.
It wasn’t that long ago that I suffered from worsening allergies, ear infections that would take me out for days at a time, debilitating afternoon dips in my energy, fluctuating weight, migrating migraines and relentless joint pain.
At the time I didn’t even think to ask my doctor about these health issues because at my annual physical I always looked perfect – I didn’t know what to make of my symptoms.
As time passed I eventually reached my breaking point. I could no longer go on living a limited life due to a declining health that no doctor would address because my annual physical was always so “perfect.”
I tried chiropractors, an acupuncturist, massage, various over-the-counter medications, and herbal remedies. Sometimes my symptoms would subside for a few days or weeks and then come back full force. My migraines would put me down for the count in the afternoons all the way into the evenings. I couldn’t even think clearly at times. And other weird things starting popping up that I had never had before…teeth grinding, skin breakouts and weight gain.
I literally tried anything and everything that had a hint of a promise to feel better. I must have spent hundreds or thousands of dollars on all different therapies, not to mention hours of energy that I’ll never get back going to appointments and researching new things to try.
Just when I thought this was what life had come to, that I was getting older (although I was only 28) and there was no avoiding declining health, I found the Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Program. Right away, I enrolled and became a Functional Diagnostic Health Practitioner, aka health detective.
I ran a stool test and what I found was…
My gut was a mess! It was leaky, really leaky, letting all kinds of toxins into my bloodstream and very inflamed. I also had a serious H. Pylori bacterial overgrowth problem – a direct cause for my migraines and mid-back pain!
In this week’s video and blog I share how doing an annual stool test to look at my gut health has helped me rebuild my health and how you can do it too!
If you’ve been following my blogs the past few weeks you know, or are starting to understand, just how important of a role your gut plays in your overall health and wellbeing. (If you’re new or missed them check out my recent blog posts here).
Your gut is where…
- 80% of your immune system lives – the same system that protects you from viruses, bacteria and manages inflammation
- All nutrients from food are absorbed to fuel every single cell and function of your body
- Happy brain hormones such as dopamine and serotonin are made, and your sleep hormone melatonin
What my doctor couldn’t see at my annual physical was that my immune system was on the fritz making me susceptible to ear infections, I had inflammation fueling my worsening allergies and an imbalance of beneficial and bad gut bacteria that was causing my joint aches and migraines – and this was all because my gut was not healthy, it was leaky.
After running that first stool test to look at the state of my gut health and strategically working on restoring my gut, I felt relief almost immediately.
My allergies started to decline – now I don’t even have them anymore
My energy increased and I quit caffeine for good
My migraines vanished and have never returned – not even once
My joint aches and pains disappeared completely
What most conventional doctors, and even some functional ones, don’t pay attention to is that your gut is where it’s at.
If you’re suffering from any health issue…
- High cholesterol, blood pressure, heart rate
- Irritable bowel syndrome or digestive upset
- Hormone imbalances and autoimmunity
- Allergies, asthma, eczema
- Acne and sleep disorders
- Anxiety, depression etc.
It can all be traced back to your gut health, or lack thereof.
This is why I say an annual stool test is the new annual physical!
Taming the inflammation in your gut, boosting your immune system and balancing gut flora is the key to better overall health, hormones and happiness.
Not only have I experienced remarkable results myself but my clients have too…
“I have such great news. My cholesterol went down. Best part is I don’t have to take cholesterol medication because they improved so much. My doctor wanted me to consider medication if over 170 ldl but I came in at 111. So grateful to you and the opportunity to do the Get Your Gut In Gear Program!”- Beverly S., California
Aside from all of the amazing healing opportunities you can uncover on a stool test, it can also help you save money on your insurance every year. Running one of these bad ass stool tests can help you hit your annual insurance deductible so that all of your co-pays will be covered for the rest of the year!
Now I want to share what I’ve learned to help heal others, like you, who are unknowingly suffering from poor gut health too, thus the…
GET YOUR GUT IN GEAR PROGRAM WAS BORN!!!
I’ve opened the doors AGAIN FOR MY GET YOUR GUT IN GEAR GROUP PROGRAM. This small group program has only 10 spots available and enrollment is now open until April 26th.
Here’s how the program works
Over the course of this 4-month group program, from May 2nd to August 22nd, you will…
- Use a functional at-home stool sample test to take a deep dive look at your gut health at the beginning and end of the program
- Identify gut invaders (parasites, bacteria, yeast) causing disruption with your health and pinpoint healing opportunities
- Have THREE one-on-one sessions with me to personalize your gut re-building plan and for targeted guidance
- Attend eight bi-weekly Group Coaching Sessions to guide you through the gut healing process
- Tackle and eradicate gut invaders with customized herbal supplement recommendations
- Re-build the integrity of your gut health to prevent invaders and damage in the future
- Get a 20% discount on all supplements
- Learn to heal your gut using proper diet, rest, exercise, stress reduction, and supplementation techniques that fit your unique needs
- Get access to a private Facebook Group for extra guidance and community support
- Try simple DIY liver flushing techniques and toxin reducing exercises to fully clean your system and restore health
This Program Is Perfect If You Suffer From…
- Hormone imbalances, chronic fatigue and autoimmune issues
- Bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, indigestion, heartburn
- Stubborn weight or weight gain
- Struggles with motivation, depression, anxiety, irritability or just don’t feel like yourself
- Constantly sick- cold, flu, allergies or generally declining health
- Sleep issues- insomnia or just poor sleep in general
- Sore, stiff or painful joints
- Food allergies/sensitivities, loss of appetite, hungry all the time
- Strong cravings for processed foods and sugary foods
- Hives, rashes, eczema, itchy dermatitis, acne, ulcers, sores, lesions
- Recurring yeast infections or UTI’s
- Bleeding gums, teeth grinding and drooling during sleep
- Sexual dysfunction in men/menstrual cycle problems in women
- Itching – especially around mouth, nose and anus
It’s time to get your gut in gear so you can start living a life full of health and happiness!
Get all the program details and grab your spot here today!
Space is limited to 10 people and enrollment closes April 26th!
Prevent, Reverse & Heal Autoimmunity
According to the American Autoimmune Related Disease Association, “Approximately 50 million Americans, 20% of the population or one in five people, suffer from autoimmune diseases. Women are more likely than men to be affected; some estimates say that 75 percent of those affected, 30 million people are women.”
An autoimmune condition develops when your immune system (which defends your body against disease) starts to recognize healthy cells as foreign. As a result, your immune system begins attacking healthy cells of various tissues depending on what type of autoimmunity you have.
Along with autoimmunity, either as a result of it or trigger for it, there are also a number of inflammatory conditions that correlate with being on an autoimmune spectrum such as:
- Acne
- Obesity
- Excess Weight
- Allergies
- Arthritis
- Asthma
- Eczema
- Cardiovascular Disease
- Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Meaning, if you have any of these inflammatory conditions listed above and don’t have autoimmunity then these conditions increase your risk for it. Or if you have autoimmunity then these conditions can aggravate your autoimmune symptoms even more.
How does one wind up with an autoimmune condition?
Three factors have to be in place in order for autoimmunity to show up in the body:
- The gene for it = hereditary component
- Leaky gut = a suppressed immune system
- Environmental trigger(s) = things that inflict chronic inflammation
As Dr. Amy Myers points out in her book The Autoimmune Solution, twin studies have shown that only 25% of autoimmune disease is inheritable, meaning that 75% of it is related to environment and leaky gut.
Researchers estimate that about 80% of your immune system is in your gut.
Autoimmune issues are directly related to the health of your immune system, which is located in your gut. Therefore, the the health of your gut is the key to preventing, reversing and healing autoimmunity.
In this week’s video and blog I dive into more detail about how improving gut health can help you prevent, reverse and heal autoimmune conditions.
As a person with an autoimmune condition (Hashimoto’s), maintaining my gut health has been a huge focal point of my health regimen. In fact, supporting the health of my gut to boost my immune system and to reduce inflammation is part of what has allowed me to ween off of my thyroid medication after just 4 months.
When I work with autoimmune clients, gut and digestive health are two of the very first things we address. The health of your gut greatly impacts your risk for autoimmunity and your ability to reverse or heal it for three main reasons.
Three reasons why gut health can prevent, reverse and heal autoimmune conditions.
#1 – Nutrient Absorption
When gut health is impaired, that means digestion and absorption of nutrients are also impaired. Without adequate nutrient absorption, the body is not receiving all of the valuable resources and support it needs to boost immunity, fight off inflammation, or to heal and repair. You could be eating the most healthy foods in the world and taking the best high quality supplements, but if your gut is leaky or damaged then you are not getting all of the preventative or healing benefits that you think you are. When gut health is improved, nutrient absorption goes up allowing for prevention and healing to happen.
#2 – Gut Invaders
It’s actually normal to have some amount of bacteria, yeast and even parasites living in your intestines, in fact it’s part of what keeps your gut flora balanced. However, when certain species of gut invaders grow too much, they pose a problem. They disrupt the normal balance and function of the gut, causing increases in inflammation and toxic waste. Additionally, some species, such as Klebsiella and H. Pylori bacteria, are known triggers for autoimmune disease, putting you at higher risk for developing one OR aggravating autoimmune systems if you already have a condition. Checking for gut invaders and eradicating them can prevent a potential trigger or reduction factors contributing to autoimmune issues.
#3 – Inflammation
Chronic stress and inflammation are the root of all disease, and also the catalyst for autoimmunity (as mentioned earlier). A leaky or damaged gut results in chronic inflammation and a depressed immune system. The more damaged your gut is, the more inflamed it becomes, and the more sensitive it will be to other inflammatory variables such as food and environmental toxins. By improving the health of the gut, inflammation is reduced and proper immune function can be restored.
To learn more about your gut health and how to optimize it, join me April 11th at 5:30pm PT/ 8:30pm ET for a free webinar…
Leaky Gut: The Missing Link To Better Health, Hormones & Happiness
In this webinar I’ll cover in more detail:
- What leaky gut is and how it’s your most overlooked healing opportunity
- How leaky gut happens and 3 simple steps you can take to reverse it
- The link between healing your gut, hormones, improving health and overall sense of happiness
- Why candida or parasite cleanses go wrong and what you should be doing to heal your gut instead
Healing my gut has been a very personal part of my own health re-building program. I’ve alleviated my allergies, joint aches, migraines, back pain, and have balanced my energy, all by listening to the signals my body was giving me about my gut. Now it’s part of my personal mission to help others stop the pain and suffering by teaching them to do the same!
Join me April 11th at 5:30pm PT/ 8:30pm ET for a free webinar…
Leaky Gut: The Missing Link To Better Health, Hormones & Happiness- Register Here!
The Most Bang For Your Buck…
Improving gut function is the cornerstone to rebuilding health, maintaining already good health and/or preventing disease.
One could arguably say that your gut is the most critical part of your body.
The gut continuously provides updates on the constant state of affairs in the body.
The gut is known as the “second brain” because, just like the brain, it actually has its own nervous system (the Enteric Nervous System) that acts as an information superhighway between itself and the brain (known as the brain-gut axis).
Research continues to show how instrumental the gut is in all aspects of your body. If I could, I would place my bets on the fact that the gut will soon be called the first brain, because as we are learning, the health of your gut is actually what determines the capacity and function of your brain.
As you might know, your gut is where nutrients are absorbed to fuel other functions of the body but it’s also where 80% of the immune system lives.
Your gut acts also your “second skin”, internally protecting you from toxic substances, bacteria and viruses. And it’s where the majority of mood stabilizing hormones such as serotonin and dopamine are created.
Functional medicine practitioners estimate that 80% of the population is walking around with a “leaky” or damaged gut, which likely includes you too.
So my question for you this week is…
Are you getting the most bang for your buck with what you’re putting in your mouth?
If your gut is operating suboptimally, that means your digestion is impaired. When digestion is impaired, that means you can’t properly break down food into nutrients or adequately absorb them to fuel the rest of your body.
It’s very common for new clients to come to me frustrated, with a laundry list of supplements, medications, and diets that they’ve tried with little to no results. When we sit down to evaluate their health, it becomes very clear that the it wasn’t the supplements, medications or diets that failed them – it was their poor gut health.
You could literally be flushing money you spend on supplements, food and medications down the toilet.
When your digestion and gut health are in disarray you’re literally flushing money you spend on high quality food, supplements and medications down the toilet, because you can’t adequately absorb all of that good stuff.
This leaves your body deficient, tired and susceptible to disease and sickness.
In this week’s video and blog I help you assess if you’re getting the most bang for your buck with what you’re putting in your mouth and how to improve your digestive power.
Before I dive into how improve your gut health and digestive power, let me give you some background about how leaky gut happens in the first place…
Leaky gut does not happen overnight, it’s something that has been evolving for quite some time. With some of my clients we can trace it all the way back to their birth. If you were a c-section baby and/or didn’t receive breast milk as a child, then your gut didn’t get the essential healthy bacteria it needed in the first place to be set up for success.
But even those of us who were not c-section babies and who did receive breast milk can still run into gut health issues down the road.
Some of the most common contributors to an unhealthy and leaky gut include:
- Inflammatory foods such as gluten, dairy, soy and sugar
- Over the counter or prescription medication use
- Constant low grade emotional stress or traumatic events
- Parasites, bacteria and yeast overgrowth
- Toxic household cleaning products, tap water and non-organic foods
Over time with continued exposures to these contributing factors, the delicate lining of your gut begins to wear down. The more worn down the gut lining becomes, the more susceptible your are to the most common contributors of leaky gut and eventually the whole systems starts to shut down.
Some of the most common signs of an unhealthy and leaky gut include:
- GERD/Acid Reflux
- Constipation and/or diarrhea
- Chronic inflammation and pain
- Psoriasis, eczema, rashes and/or acne
- Anxiety, depression and/or mood swings
- Sudden weight gain or weight loss, or stubborn weight
- Trouble falling asleep or sleeping through the night
- Hormone imbalances – estrogen, testosterone, thyroid etc.
If you’re suffering from any of the of signs and symptoms above then I can almost guarantee that you have a leaky gut to some degree, and you’re not getting the most bang for your buck with whatever remedies you’re trying.
Healing your gut is how you can really begin to heal your health and your life.
When you restore the health of your gut, you increase your digestive power, adequately absorb nutrients and can then fully reap all of the benefits from nutritious foods and supplements to further support your health.
Here are 4 simple steps you can take daily to support gut health and improve digestion:
- Cut the crap – avoid eating inflammatory foods such as gluten, dairy, sugar and soy
- Chew on it – chew each bite 20 times to promote more digestive enzyme production
- Boost beneficial bacteria – take a high quality probiotic such as this one
- Slow down – take 5-10 deep breaths before eating to put your body into rest and digest mode
Depending on the depth of your leaky gut issues, it may take more than just these 4 simple steps to restore health to your gut. However, these simple daily strategies will pave the path for improved health.
To learn more about your gut health and how to optimize it, join me April 11th at 5:30pm PT/ 8:30pm ET for a free webinar…
Leaky Gut: The Missing Link To Better Health, Hormones & Happiness
In this webinar I’ll cover in more detail:
- What leaky gut is and how it’s your most overlooked healing opportunity
- How leaky gut happens and 3 simple steps you can take to reverse it
- The link between healing your gut, hormones, improving health and overall sense of happiness
- Why candida or parasite cleanses go wrong and what you should be doing to heal your gut instead
Healing my gut has been a very personal part of my own health re-building program. I’ve alleviated my allergies, joint aches, migraines, back pain, and have balanced my energy, all by listening to the signals my body was giving me about my gut. Now it’s part of my personal mission to help others stop the pain and suffering by teaching them to do the same!
Join me April 11th at 5:30pm PT/ 8:30pm ET for a free webinar…
Leaky Gut: The Missing Link To Better Health, Hormones & Happiness- Register Here!
P.S. Want to hear more about the importance of gut health and how it can help you get your life back? Check out the live video I did on Facebook recently here.
How Many Apples Would You Have To Eat?
How many apples would you have to eat a day to keep the doctor away?
In a recent training I was in it was said that you would have to eat 40 non-organic apples to equal the nutritional value of one organic apple.
Yes, I said forty – four zero. That is a LOT of apples. You might be wondering why is there such a large gap in the nutritional value of organic vs non-organic apples.
This article by the Earth Island Journal pretty much sums up the why…
“In the late 1990s, researcher Anne-Marie Mayer looked at data gathered by the British government from the 1930s to the 1980s on the mineral contents of 20 raw fruits and vegetables. She found that levels of calcium, magnesium, copper, and sodium in vegetables, and of magnesium, iron, copper, and potassium in fruit had dropped significantly.
The 50-year period of Mayer’s study coincides with the post World War II escalation of synthetic nitrogen and pesticide use on farms. These agri-chemicals allowed farmers to bypass the methods of maintaining soil fertility by replenishing soil organic matter with cover crops, manure, and compost, and of controlling pests with crop rotation and inter-cropping. Reliance on chemical fertilizers and pesticides became a defining characteristic of conventional farming, while farmers who eschewed the use of agri-chemicals came to be considered organic.”
Essentially the use of chemicals and the abandonment of traditional farming practices, such as crop rotation, have left the soil depleted of nutrients and minerals that would normally be used to create nutritious produce.
Conventional apples lacking in nutritional value is just one part of the problem.
For 6 years in a row now, apples have topped the list of the Environmental Working Group’s most pesticide contaminated produce known as the Dirty Dozen.
98% of apples tested positive for at least one pesticide residue. Other fruits and veggies that topped the list included: strawberries, nectarines, peaches, celery and grapes.
Pesticides are designed to be toxic in order to kill insects, plants and other organisms considered “pests.”
The U.S. and international government agencies have even acknowledged that different pesticides have been linked to various health issues such as:
- Hormonal imbalances
- Brain and nervous system issues
- Skin, eye and respiratory irritation
- Cancer
Is the conventional apple-a-day motto really keeping the doctor away or just making you sick?
It’s virtually impossible to eat organic 100% of the time. Especially if you enjoy traveling or going out to dinner and socializing. I have been known to grab an apple at the airport when the food choices are slim.
In this week’s video and blog I discuss how to strike a balance when it comes to eating organically, what you can do to boost your nutrition and how to protect your body when you do eat conventionally raised foods.
To ensure that you’re getting enough vital nutrients from your food, your goal should be to eat organic as much as possible. In some cases this might be more expensive, but if you’re smart about it you can eat organic even on the tightest of budgets.
Tips for a budget friendly organic diet:
- Prioritize buying organic produce – use the EWG’s Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen list
- Shop seasonally – produce that is in season is always cheaper
- Stock up on sales – buy organic meats and produce on sale in bulk and freeze them
- Online price comparison – check out online grocers and delivery services such as Amazon Now, Amazonfresh, Instacart and local CSA programs for more availability in prices and food variety
Aiming to eat organic is one piece of the puzzle. What about those times when you’re traveling or out for dinner and you don’t have access to organic food?
In those scenarios you run the risk of not only eating less nutritional food, but you also expose yourself to toxic pesticides and food additives – all of which can impact your health in a majorly negative way by contributing to inflammation, overloading your liver with more toxins to detox and disrupting your digestive system.
To help you with this piece of the puzzle, I’ve created my Seasonal Cleanse Challenge!
Let’s be realistic, you can’t be perfect all year long, so why not take advantage of the best times of year to cleanse your body of the harmful toxins, chemicals and pesticides that you come in contact with? Spring and Fall are the most effective times of year to detox your body in preparation for Summer and Winter.
I’ve used the principles of my Seasonal Cleanse Challenge over and over again with clients, and myself, to improve and maintain health.
Here’s how the Seasonal Cleanse Challenge works. Over the course of 28 days you will…
- Learn what ratio of proteins, carbs and fats are best for your body to boost your energy, weight loss, balance hormones, reduce belly bloat and inflammation
- Incorporate the highest naturally detoxify foods (beets, grapefruit, dandelion greens) into your daily routine to promote the body’s natural cleansing systems
- Focus on minimizing your intake of the top inflammatory and hormone disrupting foods: gluten, dairy, sugar, soy and alcohol
- Try simple DIY proven liver flushing techniques to push out those built up toxins!
- Receive weekly workout routine video tip – sweat out those toxins!
- Get accountability to work out regularly, to drink plenty of water and to get quality sleep in order to support the body’s cleansing and healing process
- Receive 30-minute live or recorded weekly educational webinars and be part of a special Facebook group for support
- Receive recipes and a checklist to guide you along your journey
- Get a quick-start goodie bag to get you moving in the right direction
AND I’m include a special BONUS ASK THE EXPERT SESSION with yours truly 🙂
The great thing about this program is that you get to make it work for you. Each program defined “cleansing activity” is worth points daily or weekly, so you get to pick and choose what works best for you in any moment to get the results that you desire! At the end of each week, and the challenge, you will qualify for prizes based on the number of points that you have earned.
SAVE $20 AND GET ALL OF THIS FOR $89 IF YOU ENROLL BY MARCH 10TH!!! – use code ‘challengeme’
There are only 50 spots available. Challenge Starts March 23rd. Last day to enroll is March 16th.
Don’t let imperfection, diet and exercise hold you back from achieving your ideal health and weight, learn to love your liver and it will love you back.
